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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29082588">Making a Splash</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyonmylove/pseuds/flyonmylove'>flyonmylove</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Free!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Comedy, F/M, Gen, Secret Crush</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:01:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,588</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29082588</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyonmylove/pseuds/flyonmylove</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gou Matsuoka knows she's pretty. Tons of boys think so. Now if only the only boy she wants to actually think so could notice her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Matsuoka Gou/Nanase Haruka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Making a Splash</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Gou Matsuoka knows she’s pretty.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She’s always known. It might be presumptuous of her, looked down upon, even. Girls shouldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> they’re pretty, but how could she not? She knows her mother is beautiful, her father was one of </span>
  <em>
    <span>the</span>
  </em>
  <span> most handsome men she’s ever seen, and her brother was probably one of the best looking guys in high school </span>
  <em>
    <span>period</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Good genes simply ran in the family! Plus, how could she not with always being </span>
  <em>
    <span>told</span>
  </em>
  <span> how cute she was? She’s never really like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>cared</span>
  </em>
  <span> that guys thought she was cute or pretty, if anything it’s sort of a turn-off when they’re so...</span>
  <em>
    <span>enthusiastic</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It’s like it’s the first thing they see and it’s the </span>
  <em>
    <span>only</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing they can focus on after, who wants a guy like that? Totally not her type! </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was...</span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> boy she might wish to know his thoughts on her looks though. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Haruka Nanase was...odd. Gou knows this. He’s obsessed with swimming to the point someone might be concerned; a moth drawn to a constant flame. He’s scarily good at art, she learns not too long after the swim club manifests. He’s also fairly quiet, but that part Gou already knew. It’s not that he’s being </span>
  <em>
    <span>rude</span>
  </em>
  <span> persay, but...Haruka is a man of...not many words, but when he does speak it’s always to the point, like he doesn’t wish to waste them. He also had a...really weird way of thinking about things, but it’s sort of poetic if she thinks about it. He’s actually pretty kind and lots of people like him and he knows how to move around a kitchen. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And he has the perfect swimmer’s body. So he’s basically the perfect guy. So of course he’s the guy she wants to think she’s pretty. If he can actually look away from the water long enough to like, look at her. It’s fine, she thinks. She’s always loved a challenge. The Matsuoka blood was fierce and stubborn and passionate. Gou couldn’t just </span>
  <em>
    <span>give up</span>
  </em>
  <span> on it! No, no way!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She would get Haruka Nanase to notice her!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>...Which was easier said than done, even with the most well thought out of plans. Because Haruka Nanase himself is an obstacle, something to overcome. He himself is the difficulty of which Gou must work through. So logically, she has documents. Well thought out notes, properly highlighted in a binder hidden in her room. Lists of things she could do to get him to notice her. Maybe she could ask him to help her swim? No, no, strike out. He’d probably look at her like she has four heads, say he’s a terrible teacher, and tell her to have her brother or Makoto teach her. Maybe...a water gun fight? Ah, but they did technically already do that with Samezuka...and she got soaked by accident and was totally covered up by Sousuke...plus, it’d get way too competitive too fast! Another mark out. Ugh, why was this so hard!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So of course Gou comes into practice a bit dejected, sighing, as she lays flat on the concrete outside of the pool, the asphalt is warm and a bit comforting, so she closes her eyes and just...relaxes, pretends she’s sunbathing on a nice beach somewhere, glistening, bulging muscles...ah, </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>is the life --</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...Gou-chan?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gou recognizes that kind, concerned voice anywhere, and she opens her eyes to Makoto standing over her, brows knit, hands on his hips. Ah, this...must look a bit strange.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Makoto-senpai.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...Are you...alright?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Gou sighs, pushing up and leaning back on her hands. She hangs her head back dramatically, and squints when she realizes she’s looking directly at the sun. Another loss for Gou Matsuoka, in almost blinding herself. Makoto crosses his arms, his brows creasing further as he tilts his head. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...If something is bothering you Gou-chan, you know you can always talk to me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ah, there it is. The concern. The kind that Gou has to look away from because like the sun, Makoto’s concern is far too bright to look at because then she would have to actually confront her issues outside of a tightly sealed notebook.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As if.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No worries, Makoto-senpai!” she pushes herself up, hands on her own hips, a bright smile poised on her lips. “I’m great!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Makoto gives her a sigh of his own. She is very obviously struggling with something, but Makoto knows Gou is </span>
  <em>
    <span>stubborn</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and if he’s going to crack that nut, it will simply be at a unique pace, preferably one that doesn’t involve the others walking in on, especially as Nagisa bounds outside at a neckbreaking pace. Makoto gives a light chuckle as Rei follows in behind, exasperated as usual. They all have a nice dynamic together, reliable to always know how things flow between them. Speaking of…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There he is.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Makoto doesn’t even have to double check to know Haruka has already slipped into the pool, floating with his eyes closed in his natural habitat. Which, yes, he knows sounds ridiculous, but he always knows there’s no other way of actually saying it. Haruka has always been more at peace in a body of water than on land, like he was always meant to belong there. It brings a warmth to his chest, and he doesn’t know if it’s because he likes seeing his best friend in his most comfortable place, or because he knows just how far that water can take him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Makoto almost calls for for practice to </span>
  <em>
    <span>officially</span>
  </em>
  <span> begin until he spots Gou again. She’s gazing at Haruka as well, which isn’t out of the ordinary. She always admired his muscles, and never was shy about such a fact, but...there’s something different in her eyes, a warmth to them Makoto hasn’t seen, mostly because he hasn’t been looking for it. It causes him to smile, because suddenly Gou’s problem plaguing her is suddenly </span>
  <em>
    <span>obvious</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It’s sweet, he thinks, so sweet he </span>
  <em>
    <span>certainly</span>
  </em>
  <span> isn’t going to say anything, because he doesn’t have the experience to try and help, and to ask anyone else would be exposing Gou’s feelings, and that doesn’t seem productive either. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So he simply chuckles to himself before calling for them all together to officially begin practice. Gou-chan will be able to figure it out herself, he knows. It won’t be in the way she wants, that’s for sure, but things always work out for their little group, don’t they? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Practice goes well, too. Haruka and Makoto are about to graduate, but Gou knows Haruka intends on going to the world stage, so even his training menu hasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly</span>
  </em>
  <span> let up. Makoto keeps mum on his new revelation, instead helping Rei transition into being captain for next year. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Which turns out to be a mistake, because Nagisa exists.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s not on purpose, Makoto knows, but it practically happens in slow motion as Nagisa is walking along the edge of the pool and falls off the edge, </span>
  <em>
    <span>right</span>
  </em>
  <span> next to where Gou is crouched, talking to Haruka from inside of it, and the weight of his body hitting flat against it at such a speed creates a splash even Rei seems surprised about and suddenly Gou is shrieking, her jacket off to the side as the weather had warmed so her white blouse and vest are thoroughly soaked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>Gou is so embarrassed she think she might </span><em><span>die</span></em><span> actually, it would be preferable to right now, if she’s being honest, instead of being </span> <span>absolutely </span><em><span>drenched</span></em><span> in front of Haruka-senpai. She knows she looks...terrible. Like a drowned rat, not even a cute one! She couldn’t even be an extra in A Rat’s Life! She just looks sad and she might cry if she doesn’t get up to leave.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Except Haruka is pulling himself out of the pool with ease before the others can even register what’s properly happened to help her, grabbing a towel from the stack nearby and bringing it over. She turns around, a little...confused until he gently drops it around her shoulders like a cape to cover her with. She hadn’t even noticed he’d grabbed another as it lands on top of her hair, his palm gently resting on top, like he’s soaking up the chlorinated water himself. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...You okay?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh?! Oh! Um...yeah!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Haruka regards her silently, nodding. She thinks she might see a ghost of a smile when he moves away, but maybe that’s just in her own imagination. She’s so caught up in it she barely registers Rei yelling at Nagisa to be more careful and watch what he’s doing, because it pales in comparison to the way her heart is absolutely beating. Ah. She should...say something. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...Um, Haruka-senpai!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He turns around, tilting his head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“..Thank you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He seems...a little confused as to </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> she is exactly, wasn’t that just...the right thing to do? He nods, anyway.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...You should dry up. You’ll catch a cold.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, you’re right!” Gou scurries to her feet, making her way inside, pulling the corner of the towel around her tighter. It wasn’t in her plan...but he totally noticed her! And helped her out! Mission accomplished! She grins to herself, pulling open the doors to the building, blissfully unaware of how Makoto catches her smiling her way inside. Well, he can’t say he doesn’t know how things will work, at least. Good for Gou, he nods, she deserves something nice like this. Even if it is...the most basic form of kindness. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ah, well it is the little things, isn’t it?</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i really just love gou, my silly, silly favorite daughter. let gou fics be funny 2021!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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